Life Writing in Carmen Martín Gaite's Cuadernos de todo and her Novels of the 1990s

Blanco examines the relationship between life-writing in Martín Gaite's notebooks and her fictional work.

Carmen Martín Gaite (1925-2000) was one of the most important Spanish writers of the second half of the twentieth century. From the 1940s, until her death in 2000, she published short stories, novels, poetry, drama, children literature and cultural and historical studies. This book studies life writing in Martín Gaite's notebooks Cuadernos de todo (2002) and her novels of the 1990s, Nubosidad variable (1992), La Reina de las nieves (1994), Lo raro es vivir (1996) and Irse de casa (1998). It looks at the use of first person narration in Martín Gaite's work, drawing a parallel between the notebooks and her fictional work. It further analyses the way the author's notebooks relate to the development of her later novels as well as the use of writing as therapy. This work offers a way of looking at Carmen Martín Gaite's work from a personal and intimate perspective.

Maria-José Blanco López de Lerma is Spanish Lecturer and Language Tutor at the Department of Spanish, Portuguese & Latin-American Studies, King's College London.

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Table of Contents

IntroductionLetters, Diaries and Self-Reflective WritingCuadernos de todo:Carmen Martín Gaite's DiariesNubosidad variable:Letters and Diaries, Female Friendship through WritingLa reina de las nieves: A Personal Search through Diaries and LettersLo raro es vivir: Personal Reflections from Historical ResearchIrse de casa: Life through the Cinematographic lens, Writing One's Own Life-ScriptConclusionAppendix: Some American CollagesBibliography

Reviews

Maria-José Blanco López de Lerma's book offers a valuable overview of Martín Gaite's oeuvre and the critical attention it has received. BULLETIN OF SPANISH STUDIES